SAN FRANCISCO — A 54-year-old former Martinez resident appeared in federal court docket Tuesday after her indictment on 4 wire-fraud counts in reference to funds taken from two Marin County automobile dealerships, the U.S. Justice Division stated.
In response to an indictment primarily based on a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe, Christina Markus labored as an workplace accountant, workplace supervisor, payroll administrator and payroll clerk from 2010 to 2018, utilizing “supplier administration system” pc software program to deal with the dealerships’ payroll processing and financial institution transactions.
From January 2014 to October 2018, the indictment alleges that Markus used that software program to arrange particular payrolls, writing herself unauthorized checks and granting herself bonuses and trip pay earlier than shifting funds from the dealerships’ financial institution accounts to personally managed accounts.
Markus then used the software program to delete transaction information, change financial institution reconciliations and ledgers and clear payroll-record entries, to the tune of greater than $1.7 million, in keeping with the indictment.
After showing Tuesday earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Laurel Beeler, Markus will likely be out of custody till her subsequent look April 20 earlier than U.S. District Decide Charles Breyer.
Markus faces 4 counts of wire fraud, every with a most statutory sentence of 20 years in jail, a positive of both $250,000 or twice the gross achieve or loss, and a three-year supervised-probation time period, in addition to another judge-ordered assessments or restitution phrases, depending on federal sentencing pointers.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.